Tent



Dec. 5, 1967 K. E. B. KRUTzlKoWsKY 3,356,098

TENT

Filed Oct. 22, 1965 [.WYEN'Y'U'. Klaus EB. Kruzl kowskY wwf@ Aorney United States Patent 3,356,098 TENT Klaus E. B. Krutzikowsky, 4331 Lowell Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60641 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Sel'. No. 501,480 7 Claims. (Cl. 13S-1) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A tent having crossed frame members adapted to be connected externally of the tent fabric at the opposite ends of the tent effective to maintain lower portions of the tent walls erect and to provide front and rear upper portions thereof that converge to a ridge line and end upper portions that diverge to the ridge line to provide a hooded vent.

This invention relates to a tent, and more particularly, to a readily collapsible tent having a durable, economical, lightweight and weatherproof construction.

Tents having supports located inside the tent or underneath the tent fabric not only are diiiicult for initially setting up, but also sometimes present unusable inside oor area because of the supports being in the way. Moreover, certain types of smaller tents have a very small access opening that renders it difcult to enter or leave the tent or to bring required equipment into the tent. The subject tent is usable for both small and larger size tents, is completely waterproof, is easy to set up and take down, provides easy ingress and egress, and is very economical in cost.

An object of this invention is to provide a tent that is economical and lightweight having relatively few and simple components, but yet that is collapsible and virtually weatherproof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tent according to the first object having a large usable interior volume and oor area as compared to the surface area of tent material required.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tent that is striking in appearance, having substantially planar non-sagging side walls, angled in a functional manner relative to one another to provide a large usable interior volume.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tent having an improved access opening formed in one side Wall that is large at the locations needed but that is of nominal total area to strengthen the tent while minimizing its cost.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tent having a separate waterproof base element that is folded up at its edges and secured to the side walls around the entire lower perimeter thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tent having an improved vent formed in a side wall thereof that is, by its location, hooded by adjacent wall structure.

These and other objects will be more fully appreciated after reference to the following specication and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the subject tent, showing the access opening flaps in a partially open condition;

FIG. 2 is an elevational sectional view of the tent, as seen generally from line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational sectional view of the tent, as seen generally from line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the tent construction, as seen generally from line 4-4 0f FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the cross member connection to the tent.

3,356,098 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 The tent, generally indicated as 10 in the drawing, includes interconnected front, rear and end sidewall elements 12 that are secured at their lower perimeter by tent loops 14 and pegs 16 driven into the supporting surface or earth 18. A floor 22 is connected at its perimeter to the sidewall elements 12 to define a tent enclosure 20 therewithin. The front 24, 25 and rear 26, 27 sidewall elements are interconnected at the top of the tent along a straight ridge line 28 and diverge therefrom to the supporting surface 18. Vertical support members or poles 30 extend between surface 18 and the tent ridge line 28 and are secured to the tent in a typical manner such as by eyelets or loops 32 on the tent. Tension lines 34, secured to the tent near where the poles meet the ridge line and held in place by pegs 36, maintain the tent ridge line straight.

The end sidewall elements have lower portions 40 that converge upwardly from the supporting surface 18 to a medial eave line 42, and have upper portions 44 diverging from the medial eave line 42 to said ridge line 28. A -rigid cross member 46 is connected to the front and rear sidewall elements adjacent the medial eave line 42 on the outside of each end sidewall element. The cross members 46 hold the front and rear sidewall elements taut and further cause the upper portions 25 to diverge downwardly at a first included angle from the ridge line 28 to the medial eave line 42, and further cause the lower portions 24 to diverge at a second more acute angle from the medial eave line 42 to the supporting surface 18.

Each cross member 46 is secured to the tent by means of tent loops 48 (FIG. 4) at the corners of the medial eave line 42 and a pair of D rings 50 secured to the opposite ends of the cross member which can be swung over the loop positioned on the cross member to confine the loop snugly. The cross members 46 are supported sole'y by the tent sidewall elements and have no connection with or to the vertical support poles 30.

The ridge line 28 is generally horizontal and straight,

as is the eave line 42, which eave line further is continuous around the perimeter of the tent. The lower portions 24 and 40 of the sidewall elements have little tendency to sag, since the elements are disposed at a rather steep, although not vertical angle, and remain quite planar in character. To strengthen the tent, it is desirable to secure narrow strips 52 (FIG. 5) of exible material to the tent sidewall elements at the eave line 42 and along the edges of the respective sidewall elements, as is shown in typical section in FIG. 5. These act as a flexible structural frame for the tent sidewall elements.

An access opening 56 for the tent enclosure is defined in the lower front sidewall element 24, and generally is of triangular shape having one side edge 57 extending along the eave line 42 and having the adjacent side edges 58 and S9 converging downwardly to a point 60. The tent opening 56 is closed by a flap 62 that can be held in the closed position, when desired, by zippers 63 secured to the adjacent sidewall elements. A screen flap 64 can further be removably connected by second zippers 66 to the adjacent sidewall elementvto cover the opening to provide an insect proof construction.

Note that the access opening 56 to the tent, being generally triangular in shape and having the small part 69 adjacent the supporting surface 18, gives the largest open area above the supporting surface at a height needed to pass the shoulders and body of an occupant of the tent in entering or leaving it. This contour further provides for a large useful tent opening with a minimum weakening of the tent walls, since the greater portion of the wall can be integral and only a minor portion consists of the removable closure flap.

The tent construction further includes a vent opening 'lil formed in the outwardly sloping upper portion 44 of one or both end sidewall elements. The vent can typically include an insect screen 72 secured at its edges to the adjacent sidewall elements and a removable flap 74 secured by zippers 76 also to the sidewall elements. Since: the vent 70 is formed in the outwardly sloping portion of the end sidewall element, it is hooded or covered partially by the upper portions of the adjacent front and rear sidewall element, as can be seen generally in FlGS. l and 3. The vent opening thus can be opened even in a rain without permitting the rain to enter the tent.

Preferably, the zippers of the vent flap 74 work in a downward direction for opening the ap; while the zippers 63 and 66 of door llap 60 and insect screen flap- 64 work in an upward direction to open the respective flap. This provides that the aps then are hinged off a major side of thegenerally triangular shape and further permits the flaps to be rolled on itself to be held in an out of the way position.

The construction of the tent further offers the feature of being substantially weatherproof, in that a separate base element is used which extends at its edges 82 upwardly from the floor 12 and which at its upper extremity is connected to the lower extremity of the sidewall l2. Since the base element can be of truly waterproof material, such as rubber or plastic and since the edges of the base element extend upwardly above the floor, the tent is Weatherproof to the extent even that it can be submerged in water to a depth not exceeding the height of the base element edges. To accommodate this weatherproong, note that the lower point 60 of the access opening is above the top edge portions 82 of the base element.

While only a single embodiment of the subject tent has been disclosed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations can be made therefrom without departing from the inventive concept. Accordingly, it is desi-red to limit the subject invention only by the claims hereinafter following.

What is claimed is:

1. A tent formed of a llexible, water-repellent material, comprising interconnected front, rear and end wall elements secured at their lower edges to a supporting surface therebeneath to define a tent enclosure therewithin, the front and rear wall elements being interconnected at the top of the tent along a straight ridge line, poles connected at corresponding upper ends to the Wall elements at the ridge line and extending to the supporting surface in outward adjacent relationship to the end wall elements, guide lines connected to the wall elements at the ridge line and extending therefrom for maintaining said poles erect, the end wall elements extending upwardly from the supporting surface to a medial eave line and thereafter having generally planar upper portions diverging from the medial eave line to said ridge line, a rigid cross member disposed outwardly adjacent each end wall element at the medial line between the front and rear wall elements operable to hold said front and rear wall elements tant and to cause upper portions thereof to diverge at a first included angle from the ridge line to the medial eave line and to cause lower portions thereof to diverge .at a second more acute included angle from the medial CII eave line to the supporting surface, and an access opening for the tent in the lower portion of the front wall element.

2. A tent according to claim 1, wherein a base element is secured at its peripheral edge portions to lower ends of the tent sidewall elements to provide a floor for the tent, and wherein the edge portions extend upwardly from the supporting surface around the perimeter of the floor and the base element is formed of a waterproof material to provide a substantially weatherproof tent construction.

3. A tent according to claim 1, wherein the access opening includes a rst side edge formed along the front wall eave line and adjacent side edges that converge downwardly therefrom thereof toward the supporting surface, and wherein llap means having contours corresponding to those of the access opening is removably secured to the adjacent sidewall elements to cover the access opening.

4. A tent according to claim 3, wherein vent means are formed in the upper portions of the end sidewall elements and include an opening in each upper portion and a flap removably secured to the adjacent sidewall elements, and wherein the adjacent upper portions of the front and rear sidewall elements act as a hood over the vent openings.

5. A tent according to claim 3, wherein a base element is secured at its peripheral edge portions to the tent sidewall elements to provide a oor for the tent, wherein the edge portions extend upwardly from the supporting surface around the perimeter of the floor, wherein the access opening extends only to the base material to provide that the elevated edge portions extend uninterruptedly around the perimeter of the floor, and wherein the base material is formed of a waterproof material to provide a substantially weatherproof construction.

6. A tent according to claim 5, wherein vent means are formed in the upper portions of the end sidewall elements and include an opening in said one upper portion, a screen secured to the adjacent side wall elements and covering the opening, and a flap removably secured to the adjacent sidewall elements and also covering the opening, and wherein the adjacent upper portions of the front and rear sidewall elements extend over the vent openings and form hoods therefor.

7. A tent according to claim 1, wherein a loop is connected to the wall elements at each end of the eave line to receive an end of the cross member, and wherein a D ring is pivoted to the cross member operable to trap the loop and thereby connect the cross member to the wall elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,255,224 2/1918 Purcell 135-1 2,345,377 3/1944 Bowen 1351 2,391,871 1/1946 Benson 13S-14 X 3,043,320 7/1962 Moss 13S-14 X 3,058,480 10/1962 Blanchard 135-3 X 3,084,703 4/1963 Lefebvre et al. 135-1 3,128,781 4/1964 Kirkham 135-1 3,285,257 11/1966 Tombari et al. 135-3 DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. PETER M. CAUN, Examiner. 

1. A TENT FORMED OF A FLEXIBLE, WATER-REPELLENT MATERIAL, COMPRISING INTERCONNECTED FRONT, REAR AND END WALL ELEMENTS SECURED AT THEIR LOWER EDGES TO A SUPPORTING SURFACE THEREBENEATH TO DEFINE A TENT ENCLOSURE THEREWITHIN, THE FRONT AND REAR WALL ELEMENTS BEING INTERCONNECTED AT THE TOP OF THE TENT ALONG A STRIAGHT RIDGE LINE, POLES CONNECTED AT CORRESPONDING UPPER ENDS TO THE WALL ELEMENTS AT THE RIDGE LINE AND EXTENDING TO THE SUPPORTING SURFACES IN OUTWARD ADJACENT RELATIONSHIP TO THE END WALL ELEMENTS, GUIDE LINES CONNECTED TO THE WALL ELEMENTS AT THE RIDGE LINE AND EXTENDING THEREFROM FOR MAINTAINING SAID POLES ERECT, AND END WALLS ELEMENTS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE SUPPORTING SURFACE TO A MEDIAL EAVE LINE AND THEREAFTER HAVING GENERALLY PLANAR UPPER PORTIONS DIVERGING FROM THE MEDIAL EAVE LINE TO SAID RIDGE LINE, A RIGID CROSS MEMBER DISPOSED OUTWARDLY ADJACENT EACH END WALL ELEMENT AT THE MEDIAL LINE BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR WALL ELEMENTS OPERABLE TO HOLD SAID FRONT AND REAR WALL ELEMENTS TAUT AND TO CAUSE UPPER PORTIONS THEREOF TO DIVERGE AT A FIRST INCLUDED ANGLE FROM THE RIDGE LINE TO THE MEDIAL EAVE LINE AND TO CAUSE LOWER PORTIONS THEREOF TO DIVERGE AT A SECOND MORE ACUTE INCLUDED ANGLE FROM THE MEDIAL EAVE LINE TO THE SUPPORTING SURFACE, AND AN ACCESS OPENING FOR THE TENT IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FRONT WALL ELEMENT. 